Weber Shandwick and Barbie Are #Unapologetic

Objective

For 55 years, Barbie has been the only doll that lets girls imagine themselves as everything from pop star to president. Critics have overpowered her message, saying she's too perfect. A detriment to body image. Increasingly irrelevant.

Weber Shandwick set out to prove them wrong. To spark a discussion about women and beauty that would be disruptive, opinionated, empowering. And get people to rethink Barbie. We gave her a rallying cry -- #Unapologetic -- to engage society with a point of view: that women can be capable AND captivating.

Process

We gave Barbie a moment -- an opportunity true to her DNA, with reach that rivaled the Super Bowl: Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition. And we gave her a voice -- a full-page letter in The New York Times.

Barbie made her debut in a swimsuit before embarking on 150+ careers. And in this 50th Anniversary Swimsuit issue, she appeared alongside legendary women -- for whom a swimsuit was also the first step in building successful brands and businesses.

Results

The results? Amazing.

3.5 billion impressions. 2,000 unique stories. Coverage virtually everywhere, including The New York Times, Good Morning America, Colbert Report and TODAY, among many others.

During the crowded Sochi Olympics media landscape, Barbie stood out as one of the most talked-about brands, garnering greater share of voice than Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, The Lego Movie and the Swimsuit Edition itself.